A Tropical Voyage on the Ottawa River with Palapa Tours — The Fun Way to See Ottawa!

Tropical and Ottawa are words that usually don’t go together, but they do now, thanks to Michael Karpishka and his partner Gabriela Hernadez. The duo is the team behind the fun-looking tiki boats you’ve likely spotted cruising on the Ottawa River between the Rideau Locks and the NCC River House.

Palapa Tours, whose motto is “Life is too short to be normal”, is injecting summer fun into the often overly stuffy nation’s capital with its daily sightseeing cruises. Their two boats are currently launched from the Gatineau side of the Alexander Bridge, and each can accommodate up to 12 passengers.

The sunglass-wearing pineapple featured in the Palapa logo is a traditional heraldic symbol for hospitality—something Karpishka and crew exude in spades—but what on earth is a palapa? It turns out that a bust of tiki could be considered God worship, so by decree of the NCC, the original Tiki Tours name and corresponding visual was replaced with a palapa, which in Mexico, where Hernandez hails from, is a giant thatched umbrella.

Once our motorized palapa/tiki bar—after all, we were there to worship the cinq-a-sept—was fully boarded, the trusty first mate outlined the safety procedures, including lifejacket location and use, we bid Aloha to the dock and set out for our 90-minute cruise.

As the beach music took over the small craft, the passengers, now decked in lei and sporty funky sunglasses, were transported to tropical party mode. Skipper Mike steered the cocktail-sipping Palapa patrons past Ottawa landmarks while offering an oral overview of the formal buildings and the hallowed halls of Parliament on shore. His narration made Ottawa appear like a fun place to work!

From shore, it appears like the palapa boat might travel in a circular pattern, much like a water-raft ride at an amusement park, but it was smooth sailing. We headed first under the Alexandria Bridge to the mouth of the Rideau Locks before hugging the Ottawa shore down to the Rideau Falls and onward to the River House.

A palapa tour is a sightseeing party that is a good time for young and old. Daily tours begin at 10:30 a.m. and continue until 10:30 p.m. on weekends. The boat has an extensive list of well-priced cocktails with many non-alcoholic options. Despite being an oversized floating bar, Palapa Tours welcomes guests of all ages, but those under 12 must wear a lifejacket, per Ontario law.

Whether playing tourists in your town or hosting out-of-town guests, Palapa Tours is a great way to see the city from a new perspective. The boats can be booked for individual trips or chartered for special occasions—staggettes, birthdays, anniversaries, even proposals. For parties larger than 12 people, the two boats will cruise side by side, but be warned, these party-loving palapa people have been known to carry water guns, which they unleash on unsuspecting revellers.

To inject some fiesta fun into your summer (or fall), call Palapa Tours at 1-819-272-4977 or visit them online at ottawapalapa.tours